If your bone marrow produces dysplastic blood cells, many of these cells will die before or soon after they reach the bloodstream, and those that do reach it don’t work properly. This means you don't have enough healthy blood cells.

In some people only one type of blood cell is affected, but sometimes all of the blood cells will be low (this is called pancytopenia).

The treatment options for MDS vary a lot from person to person, depending on the symptoms you're having and the type of MDS that you have. Some people with MDS won't need treatment, but others may need high-intensity treatment such as a stem cell transplant.